Do you want to learn how to make money with real estate photography? We’ve got all the answers about what it takes to do professional real estate photography.
Whether you’re an experienced photographer looking to expand your skillset or a beginner exploring new possibilities, this guide is designed to help you get started.
We’ll provide answers to your burning questions, including how much real estate photographers make & how to set your pricing
Additionally, we’ll cover important topics like drone photography and the best practices for capturing stunning real estate shots.
Becoming a real estate photographer can be an exciting and rewarding career path With the rise of online home listings, high-quality real estate photography is more in-demand than ever.
But how exactly does one get started in real estate photography? What kind of equipment and skills do you need? And how do you go about finding clients and building your business?
In this complete guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to launch a successful career as a real estate photographer, including:
What is Real Estate Photography?
Real estate photography involves taking both interior and exterior photos of homes, apartments, condos, and other properties that real estate agents use to market listings online and in print.
The goal is to showcase the features and layout of the property in the best light. Real estate photos allow potential buyers and renters to get a feel for the space and make a decision on whether they’d like to tour it.
Real estate photographers work directly with real estate agents, home stagers, architects, builders, and private homeowners to capture properties for sale or rent.
Why Become a Real Estate Photographer?
There are several benefits to pursuing real estate photography as a career:
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Steady demand People will always be buying and selling homes, keeping demand for real estate photography high Not as susceptible to economic downturns as other industries
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Flexibility: Real estate photographers often set their own schedules. You can choose to work part-time or full-time.
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Creativity: Allows you to continually compose shots of new spaces and find creative solutions for unique property challenges.
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Low overhead: Minimal equipment needed to get started. Significant less overhead than opening other types of photography studios.
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Specialization: Allows you to focus your skills on a niche type of photography and become an expert in it.
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Opportunity to grow: Can start out small and build up your client base and portfolio. Expand into videography or virtual tours over time.
Skills Needed to Be a Real Estate Photographer
To succeed as a real estate photographer, you’ll need both technical photography skills and soft business skills:
Photography Skills:
- Understanding of composition principles, lighting, exposure, and color
- Ability to use off-camera flash and lighting modifiers effectively
- Technical proficiency in shooting interiors and architecture
- Retouching and post-processing skills
- Proficiency in wide-angle techniques
- Creativity and an eye for showcasing spaces
Business Skills:
- Client communication and consultation abilities
- Marketing and self-promotion skills
- Strong work ethic and professionalism
- Time management and organizational skills
- Ability to work independently and problem solve
Real Estate Photography Equipment Needed
The basic real estate photography gear you’ll need includes:
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DSLR or mirrorless camera: A 20-24MP sensor is recommended. Full frame preferable but a cropped sensor will also work.
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Wide-angle zoom lens: For cropped sensors, a 10-20mm or 10-24mm lens. For full frame, 16-35mm.
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Tripod: Sturdy and stable with a ball head. Allows you to shoot at low apertures and use HDR techniques.
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Off-camera flash: At least one hot shoe flash, such as a Speedlite. Allows you to balance interior and exterior lighting.
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Radio triggers: To fire flashes remotely.
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Lighting modifiers: Such as a softbox, to diffuse and shape light.
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Post-processing software: Such as Lightroom and Photoshop.
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Photo editing laptop: For processing large raw files.
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Backup storage: Such as portable external hard drives.
How to Learn Real Estate Photography
If you’re new to photography, there are several ways to build your real estate photography skills:
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Take photography courses online to learn fundamentals
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Study books and websites specifically on real estate and architectural photography techniques
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Shadow or assist an experienced real estate photographer and observe their process
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Practice shooting interior and exterior spaces to hone your skills – this is key!
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Join photography meetup groups and communities to connect with others
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Get feedback from professional photographers on your portfolio
Be prepared to spend significant time practicing and learning before offering your services. Real estate photography requires technical proficiency.
Creating a Real Estate Photography Portfolio
An impressive portfolio is essential for attracting clients. Here are tips for creating yours:
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Showcase 12-20 varied properties. Include photos taken from multiple angles.
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Feature both interiors and exteriors. Show kitchens, bedrooms, living areas and backyard spaces.
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Display technical capabilities in low light situations, HDR, stitching panoramas, etc.
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Include a range of property sizes and price points.
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Select 10-15 best edited images per property.
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Optimize photos for web viewing.
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Build a website or use a platform like Zenfolio to display portfolio online.
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Print high-quality physical portfolio book.
Shoot personal spaces or volunteer to build portfolio if needed. Get permission to use photos.
How to Price Your Real Estate Photography Services
Pricing real estate photography depends on several factors:
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Experience level: Just starting out vs. years in business. An experienced full-time pro can charge more.
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Overhead costs: Equipment, insurance, software, transportation, etc.
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Travel and time: Properties located farther away take more time and expense.
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Image licensing: Whether you retain rights or grant them to agent/homeowner.
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Value added services: Any photo retouching, virtual tours, etc. you provide.
Some pricing options:
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By property: Base rate plus price per additional bedroom/bathroom. Typically $150-$300 per property.
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Hourly rate: Ranges from $50/hr for beginners to $250/hr for experienced pros.
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Day rate: Such as $500-$1000 per full day of shooting. Gives you flexibility in how long you need.
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Packages: Bundles of number of photos delivered. More cost effective for agents.
Get a sense of your local real estate photography market rates. Offer discounts as you build portfolio.
Finding Real Estate Photography Clients
There are several strategies for finding real estate agent and broker clients:
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Network with agents at local real estate association events and conferences.
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Do direct outreach to agents by phone and personalized emails showcasing your services.
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Partner with home stagers. Offer discounts on photos if they recommend you to their agent network.
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Contact architects and builders and offer your services for new construction listings.
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Attend open houses and meet hosts to share business cards and portfolio.
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Build relationships with agents and ask for referrals to others in their brokerage.
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Create a professional website and Google My Business listing to be searchable.
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Advertise in local real estate publications and industry directories.
The most lucrative clients are exclusive partnerships with high-producing brokers. But starting out, taking any jobs to build portfolio is beneficial.
Tips for Running a Real Estate Photography Business
Here are a few top tips for building your real estate photography business:
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Focus on providing outstanding customer service and go the extra mile, to get repeat and referral business.
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Be professionally attired during shoots and drive a clean vehicle. First impressions matter.
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Use professional contracts and invoices to outline scope of work and payment terms.
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Have sufficient gear redundancy in case of equipment failure during shoot.
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Carry business liability insurance to protect yourself from potential risks.
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Hone efficient shooting and post-processing workflows to maximize profitability.
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Stay up to date on real estate photography trends and continue building skills.
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Maintain strong online presence through website, social media and agent review sites.
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Consider expanding into additional services over time like 3D home scans, video, virtual tours.
Pros Who Succeeded in Real Estate Photography
Many photographers have built highly successful real estate photography businesses:
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Russel Kaye photographs over $2 billion in luxury real estate annually. He built his reputation through relationships with high-end brokers.
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Larry Laks has grown his real estate photography service to a team of 45 photographers around the United States.
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Baldomero Fernandez combined his love of photography and architecture into a real estate photography franchise with 25 franchisees.
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Zach Nichols expanded his real estate photography into licensing his images to magazines, developers and home decor companies.
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Julie Soefer earned $100k her first year in real estate photography and now leads workshops training others.
Ready to Become a Real Estate Photographer?
Launching a real estate photography business takes time, dedication and hard work. But for photographers with a passion for architecture, interior design and marketing, it can be an extremely rewarding path.
Use this guide to start acquiring the necessary skills, equipment and portfolio and begin networking with prospective clients. Be
Create A Standard Shot List
Establishing a list of the photographs you’ll need for the home will save time when you’re on location and help you cover all the assets you’ll deliver to your client.
Here’s an example of the shots that you may include in your shot list:
- Front exterior (at multiple angles and distances)
- Wide-angle shots of the bedrooms, family room, kitchen, and den
- Shots of feature rooms (laundry, pantry, garage, basement)
- Backyard/deck photos
Of course, every home will have its unique features, so ironing the required shots ahead of time with your clients will help speed your working process when it comes time to shoot and provides a seamless client experience working with you.
Flash Photography in Real Estate
Often, you don’t have control over when you arrive at the shoot, and there’s no telling what kind of natural lighting the home has.
Flash photography may be required to get the rooms in the house looking their best. The problem is those flash units on a camera can create harsh lighting and shadows, which means you’ll have a lot of work post-production to even out the vignetting (dark edges of the photo and a bright center).
We recommend you use a flashgun rather than your camera’s standard pop-up flash so that you can move around its position. Try turning the flash on the camera so that it’s facing a wall to reflect light. Having the light bounce off the walls will create softer light for a more even look.
Lens distortion is an important factor to account for when doing any type of photography. When it comes to real estate photography, where your subjects are rooms with very crisp, angular lines, you may want to correct the lens distortion to fix bent or unnatural lines and curves.
Luckily, programs like Adobe Lightroom make it easy to correct lens distortion in a matter of clicks. To minimize how many adjustments you need to make when editing, make sure you’re shooting your rooms straight on—use a tripod and your camera’s leveling meter if you have to.
How to Become a Real Estate Photographer
How do I become a real estate photographer?
If you are considering a career in real estate photography, follow these steps to get started: 1. Study photography Photographers have extensive knowledge of camera equipment, composition and lighting. They also have an artistic eye.
Should you start a real estate photography business online?
While some real estate photographers work for a real estate photography business or even for a real estate agency, most work for themselves as freelancers. If you’re planning to join the latter category, then establish a presence online to effectively market your real estate photography business to potential clients.
How do I start shooting real estate photography?
To start shooting real estate photography, you just need to head out with your camera, a wide-angle lens, (or the shortest focal length that you have), and a sturdy tripod. The rest of the equipment in this list is optional and can be acquired further along the way. Keep in mind that it’s always possible to rent gear for a day or a week.
Is real estate photography a good career?
In addition to real estate pictures, video can be an extremely lucrative option when pursuing a career in real estate photography. Dramatic, eye-catching visuals can be created using real estate drone photography, which can help a property stand out from the pack online.
